Based on a True Story, by Sarah Vaughan

Renowned children’s author Dame Eleanor Kingman is planning a huge party to celebrate her 70th and at the same time is cooperating with an arts documentary on her life and work. But can she keep the murkier elements of her past from coming to light? Her three daughters have their own secrets to conceal. The eldest, her devoted PA Gilly, wants her own life, while accountant Rachel has marital woes and money trouble her mother won’t help with. The youngest, recovering addict turned wellness influencer Delia, has issues with her mother mining her childhood for her books. And they are not the only people who have complicated relationships with Eleanor. Disgruntled editorial assistants, a philandering ex-husband, abandoned siblings – all have reason to unmask the woman who left behind her humble origins for literary fame and fortune. Is Eleanor a monster, or a strong woman who overcame the odds to succeed? Maybe both. As the party approaches and threats multiply it becomes increasing hard to care whether any of these unappealing characters will get their comeuppance.

Strange Beasts, by Susan J Morris

The daughter of Dracula conquerors Mina and Jonathan Harker teams up with the daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ enemy Dr Moriarty to solve the case of a mysteriously murderous beast in Paris, hampered by the son of Van Helsing. All three work for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena, although Samantha Harker is a researcher, while Helena Moriarty and Jakob Van Helsing are field agents – she a maverick and he a hero. Appropriating the works of others, especially classics, is often problematic. This book at least makes it more interesting by using Stoker and Conan Doyle’s creations as a jumping off point for the next generation. But, as exemplified by the opening paragraph of this review, there is just too much going on. As well as the central mystery, the story touches on the role of women, othering difference and parent-child relationships. The setting, fin-de-ciecle Paris, has clearly been thoroughly researched and is well evoked. The tale ends with a teaser for the next novel, with the two women off an adventure in Ireland. Whether it is worth joining them there? – dunno, probs not.

Staged, by John M Green

A gruesome death on stage at the Sydney Opera House provides an opportunity for a disgraced journalist to redeem his career. To do so he must re-establish a working relationship with the cop whose major case he undermined. Corruption, murder, Hollywood gossip, quirky characters, unlikely coincidences and an overabundance of adjectives make this contemporary whodunnit more of a farce than a genuine mystery. The humour is heavy handed and the multitude of characters are faintly amusing sketches rather than fully developed people. A short, brown female DI Harry Stiles – really? With three contemporary plots and an historic interlude that provides a twist at the end there is a lot going on, little of it credible. There are clever and funny elements but style dominates over substance.

In the Midst of Winter, by Isabel Allende

An unlikely friendship forms between three very different people in the depths of a New York winter. Exuberant Chilean writer Luisa Maraz has lived in the Brooklyn basement flat of her boss, stitched up academic Richard Bowmaster, for several months but he has resisted her friendly overtures. A minor bingle and a dreadful storm sees them holed up in the house with a young Guatemalan woman, Evelyn Ortega, who is undocumented and living in fear. As they share their stories and slowly build a connection the three embark on a road trip in the snow to try to secure Evelyn’s future. The somewhat ludicrous road trip is a vehicle for exposure of the two women’s traumatic pasts. Both have been refugees but Luisa received more support in her escape from 70s political violence than Evelyn’s 2008 flight from a country overrun by gang violence. This novel is set in 2016 and one can only shudder at their likely experiences now. Richard’s history of more emotional turbulence is rather tacked on later in the book. His character is less well-rounded and less credible than the two women, making the romance that develops towards the end of the tale even less likely.

We Live in Time (2024), directed by John Crowley

Almut and Tobias are a young couple facing a significant health challenge. Their love story is told over three timelines, flashing back to how they first met and got together, how they cemented their relationship and how they each deal very differently with an uncertain future. This is confusing at first as it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the timelines, until some radical changes in Almut’s appearance make it unmistakeable. Florence Pugh shines as Almut and there is sufficient chemistry between her and Andrew Garfield to believe they are soulmates. Their story is tender and often funny, with the ending more subtle than it could have been, but somehow the emotional punch doesn’t quite land.

Heart the Lover, by Lily King

A nameless narrator recounts her last year of college, with its academic challenges, rising level of debt and complicated romances. This chapter of her life ends in heartbreak. Fast forward a couple of decades, now a successful writer, she is married with two young boys. Her university days’ lover resurfaces unexpectedly, stirring up complicated feelings, guilt and secrets. A nickname from those early days persists and her true name is not revealed until the very last paragraph. This possibly signals a long awaited reckoning with her past and an acceptance of the decisions that have led to the life she now lives. Starting with an awkward relationship and ending with a sad goodbye and a note of hope, this is an emotional tale of growth through choices made and paths not taken. Perhaps giving up a love that doesn’t quite fit allows space for one that fits better.

The General Hospital, by Anne Buist & Graeme Simsion

Trainee psychiatrist Hannah Wright is back on the wards of the general hospital in this third novel following her life and career in psychiatry at the Menzies Hospital in Melbourne. It follows the same path as the first two, presenting case studies of mental illness and its treatment alongside Hannah’s personal and professional life. This is again done with warmth and heart, clearly showing the difficulties of working in the health system, particularly in the ‘poor relation’ that is mental health. There are successes as well as challenges and joy amidst the tragedy, as Hannah treats new and recurring patients and navigates her own family and relationship issues. Anne Buist is a psychiatrist and the case studies ring true, as does the hospital politics and resource and funding issues. But the examination is far more than clinical, leaving a sense of cautious optimism about the level of care that is possible.